


A Dish Served Cold.

by steeleye



Series: It's Grim Up North. [4]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Left 4 Dead
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Horror, Humor, Zombies, xover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:29:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steeleye/pseuds/steeleye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Great,” Xander muttered wearily, “rubber and wet, naked women!” A grim tale of sex, drugs and zombies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A Dish Served Cold.

By Steeleye.

**Disclaimer:** All things Buffyverse belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy not me.

 **Crossover:** Non-crossover/Left for Dead II.

 **Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar;** Written in glorious English-English. American and English idioms are used throughout this fic.

 **Timeline:** Late winter early spring 2004.

 **Words:** Eight chapters each of about 2500 words.

 **Warnings:** None. 

**Summary:** “Great,” Xander muttered wearily, “rubber and wet, naked women!” A grim tale of sex, drugs and zombies.

0=0=0=0

**‘Secrets’, Monmouth Street, London.**

Sitting in her poky little room overlooking Monmouth Street near Seven Dials in central London; Amy Madison watched the people in the street as she absent-mindedly counted the banknotes in her hand without really looking at them. Some would go to pay for the use of the room, most would go to pay the rent on the tiny bed-sit where she lived, what little was left over would be spent on keeping herself alive and the few little luxuries she allowed herself. As she often did Amy wondered how she had come to live like this.

0=0=0=0

After her attempt at revenge on Willow Rosenberg, Amy had run; she wasn’t stupid…well maybe she was, just a little. Maybe her anger and frustration had got the better of her and made her a little insane; she was a good witch, she worked hard at her craft, but she’d never be as powerful as Willow Rosenberg. It all came so easily for her; Rosenberg hadn’t had a mother who'd tried to take over her body so she could relive her cheerleading glory days. No, Rosenberg had it all; she had power, a position high up in Buffy’s Scooby Gang. Her very own slayer lover, and a pack of little slayer girls to do her bidding…‘Witch Queen of the North’ they called her, it made Amy sick, and what had she got?

**Nothing!**

When Amy had run she’d headed for Los Angeles, catching her breath she’d taken the time to make a plan, Los Angeles wasn’t a safe place for the likes of her. The slayer-bitch, Buffy Summers had contacts in the mega-city, so it wouldn’t be a safe-haven for Amy. Booking out of her cheap motel room, she’d made her way to the bus station where she a bought a ticket for Las Vegas. Once in the gambling capital of America, Amy could make her fortune.

Indeed Amy did amass a small fortune in the few days she’d been in the city; two things spoilt her plans. Sunnydale disappeared into a hole in the ground and the world suddenly became full of slayers; but more importantly she’d come to the notice of the Gaming Commission. They wanted to know why she was so successful at the gaming tables. Once again Amy ran; she had this fear that if she used the sort of magic that would put the Commission off her trail, Willow Rosenberg and her slayer lover would come looking for her. Amy left Las Vegas by jet and headed East, New York beckoned the fleeing witch. 

After spending several months living quietly in New York, Amy started to feel the slayers all around her again. Obviously the bitch-witch Rosenberg had found her and had sent slayers to take her back to wherever it was the slayers had set up camp. In a panic she jumped aboard a plane and left the country. That was how she’d ended up in London; she’d no money now, it’d all been spent getting her to safety; she couldn’t even use any serious magic for fear that it would give her location away.

0=0=0=0

Her ‘clients’ weren’t all that much better off than she was, that’s why they came to her in the first place. They came in the hopes of finding some happiness, something to look forward to; Amy’s last customer was a case in point. Miss Phelps was an attractive woman in her early thirties; she had a good job in ‘Human Resources’ for a computer company situated out in one of London’s suburbs. Amy would have thought she’d have no problem getting herself a man, but the woman still lived at home with her mother and had just given up her one long time boyfriend simply because Amy had said she should. You see, Miss Phelps wouldn’t make a move without the say so of her friend and confident, Amy Madison. You could get people to do almost anything if they believed that you had some connection with the world of the mystic, and you knew not to push too hard or too far.

Getting Phelps to dump her boyfriend had been the test, once she’d done that Amy knew she had Phelps for life, a small but steady source of income; it would have to do for now. Amy sighed, if only she could find a celebrity that needed a good psychic she’d be made for life; people were so gullible that she mostly didn’t need to use magic. Picking up her bag Amy stuffed the money into her purse; she pulled out a diary and checked today’s date. Phelps was her only ‘regular’ for today, she toyed with the idea of telling Maureen, the lady who ran the shop where she rented the room for her readings, that she was open for passing trade but decided against it. It was nearly lunchtime, and she’d made enough money this week so she could treat herself. There was an ‘O’Neill’s’ pub just around the corner, she could have a beer and buy herself lunch.

Collecting her things Amy stood up and glanced out of the window as every magical ward she'd set up around the room started to flash danger signals. Standing and looking out onto the street with wide staring eyes; Amy knew a slayer when she saw one and she was looking at three right now. There was a blonde and two brunette teenage girls looking in the window of the retro-boutique on the other side of the narrow street. Their auras glowed all around them giving away what they were to those who had the eyes to see.

Suddenly Amy realised what had happened, the Bitch Witch Rosenberg and her friend Summers had somehow found out where she was. They’d obviously sent the slayers to either kill or capture her. But Amy had been too clever for them; her early warning system would give her enough time to escape. Leaving the room, Amy walked quickly along the narrow corridor and down the stairs into the small yard at the back of the shop. From there she found her way out onto the tourist packed streets of Covent Garden; as long as there were lots of people around not even a slayer dare attack her.

Walking quickly towards The Strand, Amy realised that this couldn’t go on. What if every time she made a life for herself, even the miserable existence she’d carved out for herself, Rosenberg and Summers tracked her down. She needed to do something and do it soon. Stopping at the curb she looked up and down the street waiting for the traffic to let her cross. It was then that the thought hit her; hadn’t someone said that the best form of defence was a spirited attack? Smiling to herself, Amy crossed the road, her smile turned into a full throated laugh which made passers-by stare at her but Amy didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was how she was going to make Rosenberg and Summers suffer.

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Cleveland, England.**

Yawning slightly, Willow rolled over on the bed and opened her eyes. Smiling she saw Kennedy’s sleeping face only inches away from her own. Reaching out she gently brushed some loose strands of hair away from her girlfriend’s eyelids being careful not to wake her. They’d driven back from London the previous day and had arrived home at about ten-thirty. After a light supper they’d fallen into bed and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Although they’d won their battle against the evil apartment block, the fight had taken a lot out of the young couple both physically and emotionally. So, they’d spent several days in London recovering at the Ritz Hotel just off Green Park. The spirit that’d possessed the tower block had lived on its victim’s fears, paranoia and guilt. Willow’d had to use a great deal of her magical power to fight the entity; while Kennedy’d had to face up to her feelings of guilt about the death of her watcher and her girlfriend when she’d been a potential on the run from the Bringers. Both Kennedy’s watcher and girlfriend had sacrificed themselves so that she could escape; she’d hidden her feelings of guilt and inadequacy under a façade of outspoken self-confidence. The entity had fed on her deeply buried feelings of failure and had almost forced the young slayer to jump from the roof of the tower block. Now the block had been emptied of its human victims and was scheduled for demolition. Running her fingers lightly down Kennedy’s cheek, Willow grinned as she watched the girl stir. Working herself a little closer she kissed her gently on the lips, Kennedy’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled at her lover dreamily.

“Hi,” she mumbled sleepily, “this is a nice way to wake up.”

“Oh,” Willow smiled, “if you think that’s good…”

Her hand slipped from Kennedy’s face down to her breast as Willow moved in to kiss her more passionately. Their mouths met and their tongues entwined and Willow rolled Kennedy onto her back; moving her hand from her breast and down across her body heading for her…

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

“What the…!” 

Both women froze as they listened to the sound of someone pounding on their front door.

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

“Who the hell’s that!?” Kennedy pushed Willow off her as she started to get out of bed, someone was going to pay for disturbing them.

“Look,” Willow held on to Kennedy’s arm with a calming hand as she started to get up, “I’ll go look, like I don’t want you hospitalising anyone this early in the morning.”

“But…” Kennedy frowned, however Willow was already out of bed and putting on her robe.

“Hey,” Willow headed towards the bedroom door as she tied the belt of her robe in a big bow, “I promise that unless it’s the imminent end of the world I’ll turn however it is into bunny or something.”

“Okay,” sighed Kennedy as she leaned back on her pillows; realising that the moment had been spoilt, she climbed out of bed and slipped on her own robe before heading off after Willow.

0=0=0=0

“Okay, okay,” Willow called as she headed towards the front door, “I’m coming.”

By the time she’d got to the door the incessant pounding had subsided, she put her eye to the peep hole.

“Giles!?” she gasped, this must be urgent; quickly Willow unbolted and unchained the door, she pulled it open to reveal a highly agitated Rupert Giles.

“Thank god you’re back!” Giles pushed past Willow and into the flat without waiting to be invited.

“Giles!” Willow pushed the door closed and followed Giles into her living room, “What’s wrong? Has the Hellmouth opened?”

When Kennedy and herself had left for London, The Middlesbrough Hellmouth had been quiet, she wondered what could have happened to panic Giles so.

“No, no,” Giles paced up and down in front of the fireplace, “it’s worse than that!”

“Worse than the hellmouth opening?” Willow gave Kennedy a frightened look as her lover came to stand next to her. “Like, how much worse,” demanded Willow, “Giles quit panicking and tell us what’s wrong!”

“Yes, yes,” Giles stopped moving, “you’re quite right, this is no time to panic.”

Kennedy had to admit to feeling a little fearful herself, anything that could make the normally unflappable Rupert Giles act like this had to be bad, she decided the situation needed some calming slayer input.

“I’ll go put some tea on,” she announced and headed for the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Willow agreed, “nothings ever as bad as it seems if you look at it over the rim of a tea cup.”

“Yes,” agreed Giles, “you’re quite right…two sugars please Kennedy,” he called as he sat down on Willow’s couch, “this is all probably just some foolish misunderstanding.”

“What is Giles?” Willow slowly walked over to the couch as if she was scared of setting Giles off again, she sat down next to him. “Tell me everything…start at the beginning and leave nothing out.”

“Its Buffy,” Giles began, the blood draining from his face as he thought that maybe it wasn’t a misunderstanding after all, perhaps his worst fears were about to be confirmed.

“Buffy?” Willow prompted.

“Look,” Giles took a deep breath, “we’d been having a farewell party for the new slayers.”

“Uh-huh,” Willow remembered Faith telling her that a batch of young slayers had been coming up to ‘Slayer Central’ for a week of training.

“Everything was going quite well,” explained Giles, “but Buffy got a little, you know…got a little drunk.”

Willow nodded her head sagely; Buffy had a drinking problem, one drink and she had a problem. Willow thought it was probably a hangover from the ‘Bad Beer’ incident when they were at college.

“And?” Willow encouraged Giles to go on with his story; she glanced over her shoulder to see Kennedy heading their way carrying a tray of tea things.

“So, I took her back to her chalet…” Buffy lived in a chalet on the old holiday camp grounds where they’d set up Slayer Central, “…I got her home and…” Giles swallowed, his Adams apple bobbing up and down, “she tried to seduce me!”

There was a loud crash as Kennedy dropped the tea tray.

“WHAT!?” screeched Willow, her voice going so high it was likely that only slayers, bats and dogs could hear her.

“I only just escaped by the skin of my teeth!” Giles explained.

0=0=0=0

**Buffy’s Chalet, Slayer Central.**

Rolling over on her bed, Buffy groaned and cracked open an eyelid, she saw the sunlight pouring in through her bedroom window. Groaning again she tried to turn away from the light, closing her eyes tightly as she rolled over away from the window; she froze in mid-roll as her face came in contact with something rough and vaguely familiar. Her hand came up to examine the object. It was some type of cloth, some sort of clothing; she sniffed and smelt a familiar scent. Sitting bolt upright, she looked down at Giles’ tweed jacket as it lay beside her. With increasing horror, the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her mind.

Having drunk just a little too much (which honestly wasn’t that difficult), Giles had steered her back to her chalet. Buffy remembered going on about all the people and places that she’d ever loved and how Giles had always been there for her. Which wasn’t quite true, she now realised in the cold light of day. Whatever, she’d been drunk, then she’d…

“Oh my god!” Buffy’s hand flew up to stifle the cry that escaped her lips, “GILES!”

Looking down at herself, Buffy sighed with relief; apart from one shoe she was still fully dressed. With luck she’d not done anything she’d regret; not that she didn’t regret the entire incident. But, if she had to choose between the monumental embarrassment of forcing herself on her ex-watcher and father-figure; and simply apologising for getting drunk and stupid she’d take the latter over the former any day…or was that the other way around…whatever. She needed to talk to Giles: no she corrected herself, she needed to talk to Willow before Giles got to her and…

“Oh my god!” Buffy swung her legs off the bed and stood up a little unsteadily; what had made her act like that in the first place?

Surely it couldn’t have been just the alcohol? Someone must have put a love spell on her! Just like that time she’d almost married Spike. Who’d do something like that? Almost anyone who hated her (a long list of people and things started to scroll through her mind) she headed for her kitchen to put on some coffee…and Giles wasn’t so bad in an older man sort of way. He was certainly younger than either of her two previous boyfriends (if you didn’t count Riley) and all that sexual experience, after all Giles hadn’t always been a librarian…

“OH MY GOD!” Buffy dropped the mug she’d been getting down from the cupboard, it smashed on the floor, “What am I thinking?” she gasped, “This must be a spell.” 

Hurrying into her living room, a moment's searching found her cellphone; she hit the speed dial for Willow’s number.

0=0=0=0


	2. Chapter 2

2.

**Dawn and Violet’s Apartment, Middlesbrough.**

Sliding from her bed, Violet picked up her robe from where it lay on the floor and slipped it on before padding silently towards the door. Seriously doubting that she’d have woken her boyfriend, Alistair, if she’d been banging a drum; but it was the thought that counted.

Having not gone to the party the night before, Violet had elected instead to spend some quality time with Alistair while Dawn was out of the flat; and 'my god' had it been quality time with a capital ‘Q’! Not that she minded sharing with Dawn; the younger Summers sister was a great flat-mate to have. Dawn generally went to the movies or ‘round to Willow’s when Alistair spent the evening with Violet. But she couldn’t stay out all night and Violet always felt a little embarrassed about making love with Dawn only just the other side of the wall.

Whatever, Violet smiled to herself; they’d certainly made up for it last night; she’d not even heard Dawn come in so she must have stayed late at the party. Opening her bedroom door, Violet walked out into the living room; she headed off towards the kitchen to make some early morning tea. Glancing at the watch on her wrist, she decided that maybe it wasn’t that early.

To get to the kitchen, Violet had to cross the living room; she’d got half way to the kitchen when she noticed a very bright light that seemed to engulf her body. Next she felt what she thought what very hard acceleration must feel like. For a moment everything went dark. Finding she had her eyes tightly closed she opened them slowly and carefully. Much to her own surprise she didn’t scream at the sight that greeted her eyes

0=0=0=0

Blinking rapidly, Amy stifled the cry of alarm that almost burst from her mouth. Instead of the familiar walls of her little bedsit she was standing in a strange apartment. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and looked around at her surroundings. It was time to start the second part of her plan. This must be Summers’ apartment in the north of England, Amy surmised; the spell she’d used appeared to be working better than she’d hoped it would. Looking around the still dark room, Amy noticed a mirror hanging over the out of use fireplace; walking over to it she stared at her refection.

“Damn!” she cursed quietly; obviously the spell wasn’t working quite as well as she’d hoped after all.

A red haired, teenager’s face stared back at her from the mirror and just for a moment Amy nearly panicked; she had no idea who this girl was. Slowly a memory returned, didn’t this face belong to one of Summers’ potentials? Amy had no idea what the girl’s name was but she realised that the girl must now be a fully fledged slayer. Amy looked at her new face closely, she didn’t feel like a slayer, she probably didn’t have the slayer abilities but she could fake them using magic if she had to.

Turning just in time, Amy watched as a door opened; a pretty girl dressed in a pink vest and baggy white cotton pants, obviously her night clothes appeared out of another room, probably her bedroom. This girl, Amy did know, this was Dawn, Buffy’s bratty little sister, of course she looked older now but it was still the same girl; she padded across the floor on bare feet and smiled at Amy.

“Hi,” Dawn called, “you’re up early.”

“Umm yeah,” Amy gave Dawn a nervous smile; obviously she didn’t live here alone.

This might make her life infinitely more difficult…but maybe not. Obviously Dawn would know where her sister and Rosenberg lived. The location spell Amy had used had only given a rough location for the slayer and her friends. That’d been enough for the first part of her plan. After all she’d not had to know the exact location of Buffy Summers for that; she’d just had to find the general location of the slayer and her hangers on.

There’d appeared to be some sort of slayer meeting going on. Amy had found the weakest of the slayer consciousness and insinuated herself into the young girl’s mind. Not enough to completely take her over but just enough to influence her into doing her will. That part of her plan would throw the slayers and their little friends (especially the Bitch Witch) into confusion; they’d be too busy running around trying to fix things to notice what Amy was doing.

Dawn had disappeared through another door leaving Amy by herself for a moment, she smiled at the face in the mirror; the slayer was attractive enough and she looked younger than her real self, a little skinny maybe but she could change that. Amy smoothed down the front of the robe she was wearing and turned side on to the mirror. Yes, Amy thought, she’d keep this body, after all her own body was likely to die fairly soon. The sound of a toilet flushing made her stop examining her new self. Moments later Dawn reappeared and walked over to the kitchen on the other side of the room.

“How did you and Alistair get on last night?” Dawn called from the kitchen.

“Alistair?” Amy tried to stop herself from sounding too puzzled; who the hell was Alistair? Was there someone else in the apartment? Just then a phone went off saving her from having to answer Dawn’s question.

“Hey!” Dawn trotted out of the kitchen and picked up a jacket that was lying over the back of a chair, she searched through the pockets, “Ha-ha!” brandishing the cellphone in her hand she glanced at Amy, “The Batphone! I better take this its probably Willow or Buffy, can you make the coffee?”

“Yeah, sure,” Amy made her way over to the kitchen while Dawn started to talk rapidly on the phone.

In the kitchen, Amy found the kettle was already set to boil, a coffee maker stood next to the kettle along with a spoon and a bag of coffee grounds. After pouring boiling water onto the coffee, she glanced around the kitchen, nothing unusual in here so she eves-dropped on Dawn’s conversation. Out in the living room Dawn was talking to someone and saying things like; ‘No-way!’ and ‘Freaking hell!’ she also giggled a lot as if she was being told something really unbelievable. Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes; Dawn Summers might be older but she hadn’t really changed that much. Just then Dawn burst back into the kitchen a big grin almost splitting her face in two.

“That was Willow,” she announced trying not to burst into an uncontrollable fit of the giggles, “looks like someone’s put the love whammy on Buffy and she’s trying to like seduce Giles!” Poor Giles,” Dawn seemed to sober a little, “imagine having my sister trying to…” the girl pulled a face, she obviously didn’t approve, “...that’s so…y’know? Like, yuck!”

“Yeah,” Amy agreed whole heatedly, to be honest she couldn’t think of anything more horrible than having Buffy Summers lusting after you…which was why she’d done it that way.

“Anyway,” Dawn had calmed down a lot and had lost most of her amusement at the situation, “Giles is hiding out at Willow and Kennedy’s place.”

“That’s good,” Amy nodded her head, it was indeed good; no doubt Dawn would lead her right to Willow Rosenberg and she could set about destroying her life.

“We’d better get dressed,” Dawn headed for her door, “Willow’s called a Scooby meeting so we better get moving.”

“Right!” Amy headed out after the girl, “Don’t want to keep the Scoobies waiting do we?”

Giving Amy/Violet a puzzled glance Dawn disappeared into what was obviously her own room leaving Amy just standing there in the living room. By a process of elimination, Amy worked out which door lead to her room (after going into a closet by mistake). Walking into the bedroom she found it still in darkness. Making her way across the litter scattered floor, she opened the curtains and turned around to see a typical teenage girl’s bedroom. Complete with a typical teenage girl’s boyfriend who was still asleep in the double bed that took up most of the space in the room. Amy clapped her hands and the boy disappeared.

0=0=0=0

**Violet.**

Awakening to the sound of helicopters flying off into the distance, Violet opened her eyes to find herself in a large but sparsely furnished hotel room. Groaning she put her hand to her forehead and wondered what the hell was going on; had she and Alistair gone out, got drunk and then gone to a hotel? If so where was her boyfriend and why was she dressed in the sort of clothes that her big sister favoured?

Sitting up she placed her feet on the floor and buried her face in her hands, god she felt awful. Violet felt like she’d been pulled backwards through a very small hole and then taken apart and put back together but not in quite the right order. Taking a deep breath she started to feel slightly better. The pounding in her head had began to subside and she was beginning to feel like she actually belonged to her body.

Something at the back of her head started to ring alarm bells; not the load strident type of alarm bells that warned of huge demons with axes charging towards her. No, these were soft almost tinkly bells like those worn by Santa’s Elves. Whatever sort of bells they were they were telling her sometime wasn’t quite right. However, alarm bells or not other things were more important just about now like where was the bathroom because she really needed to pee…soon!

Standing up slightly too quickly, Violet staggered a little then took a step towards a door she was desperately hoping led to the bathroom. Almost turning her ankle she looked down at her feet, she was wearing heels; she never wore heels, what the hell was going on? Deciding that peeing was so much more important than why she was wearing heels, she dashed, as best she could, towards her target. Yanking open the door, Violet breathed a heart felt sigh.

“Thank god!” she gasped as she hitched up her skirt and pulled down her panties.

Sighing with relief she sat on the toilet and looked at her clothes, these were so not her things; like she’d never wear panties like that. They were all lacy bits and they’d really chafe if she was chasing a vamp or something. Standing up she rearranged her clothes, flushed the toilet and walked over to the hand basin to wash her hands; it was then that she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Talking about her experiences later, Violet was quite willing to admit that, for a few minutes there, she’d completely lost it and had gone utterly hysterical. Everyone told her that under the circumstances it hadn’t been all that surprising and she shouldn’t beat herself up about it. But this didn’t make her feel much happier; she’d always think she could’ve handled it better. It was the thing about magic that did it for her; vamps, demons and general big bads she could handle. Basically they were just weird sorts of animal. It was magic she couldn’t get her head ‘round. Okay, Dawn had explained a lot of it to her and Willow was the nicest witch you could ever want to meet (like a total lack of warts and cackling helped). It was just the fact that she _was_ a witch and used _magic_ that Violet couldn’t handle.

Which was why she was standing in a bathroom screaming at the face in the mirror that was so not her own. When she’d stopped screaming and regained some sort of control over her emotions she took a really deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Filling the basin with water she washed her face (okay it wasn’t ‘her’ face but it was the one she had at the moment so she might as well look after it), she looked closely at the new her.

It wasn’t a bad face, quite pretty in fact. Violet wasn’t impressed with the hair, it was dark blonde with hi-lights and was obviously dyed. Becoming calmer by the minute, Violet stood up straight and peered at her reflection. Not unsurprisingly she found that the body that was attached to the face didn’t belong to her either. This body looked a little heavier than her own (it had bigger boobs for a start), but it looked about the same height as hers and seemed reasonably well cared for.

Nodding to herself, Violet decided that it could have been worse and she’d look after it as best as she could until it could be returned to its owner. Hopefully whoever had her body would do the same and as soon as she found Willow all this would be sorted out. So the body she was in seemed at least acceptable, as she’d noted it could have been a lot worse. The same couldn’t be said for the clothes she was wearing.

It was a dress, it went down to just below her knees, there were short sleeves and a not too low neck line. It was the colours and style she didn’t like; it was all swirly patterns in blues and reds and gave the impression that the owner was trying to put over a sort of new age, mystic like thing. Violet’s suspicions were reinforced by the charm bracelet on her wrist and the weird little necklace, maybe the body belonged to a witch.

Concentrating really hard, Violet stared at herself in the mirror and tried to wiggle her nose. Nothing happened, she sighed with relief, so no witchy powers then. Which begged the question; looking around the bathroom, Violet saw what she was looking for. Reaching out with her hand she ripped the towel rail from the wall and smiled. Either she still had her slayer powers or there’d been some pretty crappy workmanship when this place had been built.

“Okay,” Violet said to herself, “time to find out where I am.”

Walking out into the hotel room proper she made her way over to the bed and picked up the phone from the bedside table; she put the receiver to her ear, it was dead.

“Okay,” she replaced the phone, “don’t panic. So, I won’t be ordering room service any time soon.”

Turning towards the window, the alarm bells in the back of her head got a little louder. They were telling her she really needed to open the curtains and look outside, like now! With more than a little trepidation, Violet walked over to the window, her hand trembled as she reached up to take hold of the curtain. Taking a deep breath she pulled back the curtain and gasped.

“Crap,” she whispered, “looks like I’m not in Middlesbrough any more.”

0=0=0=0


	3. Chapter 3

3.

**Willow and Kennedy’s Flat, Saltburn-by-the-Sea.**

So far so good, Amy told herself, she walked up to the door of a block of apartments with Dawn. From what the girl had said (during the course of her incessant chattering) this was where Willow Rosenberg and her slayer slut lived. Dawn seemed to talk incessantly, this was good for Amy because she didn’t have to say anything much; plus occasionally Dawn gave away some snippet of useful information (and bad because Amy had to resist the temptation of reducing Dawn to a grease mark on the road). 

Apparently the name of the young man Amy had found in ‘her’ room was Alistair; she really hoped that she’d ruined her ‘hosts’ relationship with the guy, Amy didn’t want any entanglements with her new body’s past. The ‘boyfriend’ would wake up in a field somewhere, if he was lucky, or miles out in the North Sea if he wasn’t. Whatever happened the chances were he’d never want anything more to do with this ‘Vi’ girl ever again.

They were at the door to the apartment block now; Dawn gave Amy a puzzled frown as she reached past her and pressed one of the call buttons. A moment later a woman’s voice answered and told them to come right up. With a buzz the door unlocked and they went inside. The apartment was on the second floor, or the first floor as it was in England, Amy corrected herself. It was fairly big and very tastefully furnished; someone here had plenty of money to buy good quality stuff; Amy spotted several pieces that she knew to be antique. Thinking back, she remembered something she’d heard from someone in the demon community; Rosenberg’s girlfriend was supposed to be stinking rich or at least her family was. Amy had to stamp down hard on the feelings of jealousy and anger that started to bubble up in her chest; she couldn’t ‘lose it’ just yet, it would spoil her plan

Finding herself in the living room, Amy watched with barely concealed glee as Willow, fussed over Rupert Giles, two of the people she’d marked for vengeance were almost within her grasp. Giles was sitting in an armchair sipping tea and looking worried. Amy noticed that his hand shook as he lifted the cup to his lips. The other person in the room was Rosenberg’s lover, Kennedy some-body-or-other; she offered Amy tea or coffee and seemed to be pleased to see her, they must be friends. Amy smiled and nodded her thanks to the whore bitch as Dawn sort of ‘bounced’ across the room to come to a halt on her knees next to Giles.

Clutching her cup of tea, Amy moved further into the room, finding a seat on a couch she sat down. Another buzz at the door heralded the arrival of two more people; Xander Harris, Amy smiled when she saw his eye patch. So, the stories were true, Caleb had taken his eye, Amy stifled a giggle. Perhaps she’d take the other one in payment for the time he’d blackmailed her into performing that love spell at High School. Just behind Harris stood Faith, the so-called ‘Dark Slayer’. From what Amy had heard Lehane had got religion of something and turned back to being a white hat (or at least a grey hat). This was a pity, thought Amy, she could have found a position for Lehane if she’d still been ‘bad’, now she’d have to suffer and die like all the rest.

0=0=0=0

“You’re the last,” Kennedy smiled brightly as she let Xander and Faith into her and Willow’s apartment, “tea, coffee something to eat?”

“Yeah, please” Xander closed the door behind him and followed Faith into the flat, “coffee sounds good.”

“Faith.” Kennedy smiled at Faith and nodded towards the kitchen, “Give me a hand would you?” 

Frowning Faith just stood there for a moment, everyone knew that she didn’t do the ‘gossip in the kitchen’ thing; in fact anyone with any sense kept her well away from kitchens, Kennedy knew that so why…? By now Kennedy was jerking her head in the direction of the kitchen so hard that any moment now even Xander might notice and say something.

“Yeah, sure,” Faith followed Kennedy into the kitchen while Xander wandered off into the living room to greet Willow, Dawn and Giles.

“Are you stupid or something?” whispered Kennedy angrily as she poured coffee into a cup.

“Hey!?” Faith’s hackles started to rise.

“Sorry,” Kennedy sighed as she put down the coffee pot and studied the kitchen work top for a moment, “I’m sorry, you’re not stupid, its me, I’m feeling really weird or something.”

“Weird?” Faith picked up a coffee mug, sipped and sighed appreciatively; Kennedy always bought really good Java, “How ‘weird’? Something bad weird?”

“Don’t you feel it?” Kennedy looked at Faith from under her eyebrows, “ever since Vi came in I’ve not felt right.”

“Explain,” Faith stepped over to the doorway and looked out into the living room; she sort out Violet with her eyes and looked at her closely and…Vi seemed different somehow.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Kennedy said from next to Faith’s shoulder, “I’ve know Vi since we were both scared little potentials together in Sunnydale…that looks like Vi, it sounds like Vi but it doesn’t ‘feel’ like Vi…y’know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” Faith replied quietly, “what say we find out who she is, eh?”

Faith turned to look at Kennedy, a predatory smile on her lips.

“Yeah, okay,” Kennedy agreed, “but try not to smash the place up, hmm?”

0=0=0=0

Leaving Giles to the tender ministrations of Dawn for the moment, Willow looked up to see Faith and Kennedy walk back into the room and stand behind where Violet was sitting. Now everyone was here she could begin.

“Okay people,” Willow called getting everyone’s attention, “I’ve called you here so we can decide what to do about Buffy.” Willow paused to take a breath, “From what Giles tells me Buffy tried to seduce him last night.” 

Xander gasped and tried to suppress a snigger.

“Thank-you for your support,” Giles commented dryly, “this is serious.”

“Yeah,” agreed Willow before Xander could say anything, “this is serious…it seems obvious to me that someone’s put like a love spell on Buffy, we need to find out who and why.”

“What about totally removing it?” Dawn asked from the floor by Giles’ chair.

“Oh,” Willow smiled reassuringly, “a simple de-lusting spell will deal with that, we’ve got more than enough slayers here to hold her down while I do the casting…WHAT THE…!!!”

0=0=0=0

Crying out in surprise, Amy felt strong hands grab her from behind and lift her out of her seat. Next she found herself thrown against the wall as if she was a rag doll and held there by the two dark haired slayers. Trying to fight back only got her held more tightly; Amy decided to bide her time, but once she got a hand free, then they’d all start to pay.

“Who the fuck are ya?” Faith demanded as she brandished a porcelain figurine in one hand while holding Amy in a grip like a steel vice with the other.

“Yeah,” agreed Kennedy, “what have you done with the real Vi?” she turned to look at her companion, “Umm, Faith…not the Dresden please.”

“Oh!” Faith looked at the figurine in her hand, “Sorry.”

Reaching over Faith put the figure back on the table from where she’d just snatched it. Even distracted like this, Amy found she couldn’t break the woman’s hold on her, she was trapped…for now.

0=0=0=0

_Little zombies on the hillside,  
Little zombies made of ticky-tacky,  
Little zombies, little zombies,  
Little zombies, all the same.  
There's a green one and a green one  
A green one and a green one  
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky  
And they all ‘UUGH!’ just the same._

Found on the interweb, sung to the tune of ‘Little Boxes’.

**Violet.**

“This is so not Middlesbrough,” Vi told herself again.

Instead of the skyline of the northern city, with its mixture of old and new buildings that she’d expected to see; she saw a cityscape that was both familiar and unfamiliar. What was really unfamiliar and quite frightening was the way several pillars of smoke climbed into the sky from out of the city-scape. To make matters worse she couldn’t hear any fire trucks or sirens as the emergency services sped to deal with whatever disaster she was now witnessing. It was just about now that other things started to make themselves known to Violet’s senses; like why couldn’t she hear the air conditioning humming? Why was it so hot in here? What were those strange shuffling noises coming from the corridor outside her room?

It was at about this point that Violet decided that even if she wasn’t in her own body she was still a slayer and it was about time she started to act like one. She couldn’t hear the air-conditioning because it wasn’t working which also explained why it was so hot. Taking the non-working air-con and phone together this probably meant the power was out. The fires outside and the lack of any sirens almost certainly meant that some sort of disaster had struck wherever she was.

Feeling a little better, Violet hadn’t addressed the shuffling noises outside her room (that could wait for later); she started to search the room quickly for clues and hopefully weapons. No weapons came to hand, neither was there a change of clothes, however she did find evidence to suggest she was in Savannah, which if she remembered her school geography correctly (which she likely as not didn’t) was in Georgia, which meant she was back in the States somehow; of this fact she was fairly sure.

Right, Violet turned towards the door. Faint wisps of smoke were coming into the room, possible from the floor below. Whatever, she had to go, she’d exhausted the resources of the room and basically come up with ‘zip’; she needed to find a working phone. Call home and get someone to help her out and for that she needed to get out of this room. Walking over to the door she placed her ear against its surface and listened. Her, hopefully, slayer enhanced hearing told her that the corridor outside was empty…or…it was full of blood crazed monsters who were all standing very still and not breathing. There was also the possibility that her hearing wasn’t as good as it used to be.

Realising she couldn’t stay here all day second guessing herself, Violet put her hand on the door handled, twisted and pulled. The door didn’t budge, it must be locked, she told herself. Yanking at the door handle she pulled it and the lock from the door and stood back as the door slowly swung open. Violet smiled, this had at least proved that, without a doubt, she still had her slayer strength. Feeling more than a little relieved she stepped out into the corridor.

Relaxing a little more when she discovered that the corridor wasn’t full of unnaturally quiet monsters she glanced up and down the passageway. There was no one in sight, which was both a relief and a little unnerving. If there’d been someone around she could have asked them what was going on; but there wasn’t so she couldn’t. About half a dozen paces behind her a maid’s cart lay on its side. Towels and little packets of coffee and sugar lay scattered across the floor. No weapons there, looking in the other direction, Violet saw a fire point complete with a fire axe.

Grinning like a maniac, Violet strode up to the fire point, broke the glass and removed the axe and hefted in her hand. It was completely the wrong balance to use as a weapon, but she’d have to make do. Now she had something to hit the monsters with she felt a lot more confident; all she had to do now was find the monsters and hit them with her new shinny axe. Assuming, of course, there were any monsters to hit otherwise she’d have a lot of explaining to do.

Finding herself in a lift lobby, Violet pushed the call button for the elevator; she wasn’t surprised when nothing happen and the lifts didn’t arrive. As she moved away from the elevators, she paused in mid stride and listened; there was that shuffling sound again and it sounded like it was getting closer. By now her slayer senses were telling her, in no uncertain terms, that there was something wrong and it was time to fight.

Taking the axe in both hands, Violet went into a fighting crouch as she turned to face the first of the shambling horrors that staggered towards her from out of a corridor. Seeing the zombies, Violet was almost relieved, things could have been so much worse (like a lot of things today). Zombies weren’t so bad; they were slow, stupid and as long as you didn’t let them bite you they didn’t have any special powers. On the down side (there was always a down side) there were usually a lot of them.

“Okay,” Violet watched the rotting corpses lurch towards her, “time to start evening the odds.”

Raising her axe, Violet rushed at the first group of three zombies. A slayer strength swing with her axe cut down all three as her blade passed easily through the cadaverous bodies. No sooner had she dispatched these first three that two more appeared before her, reaching for her with their claw like hands. Continuing her swing from her first attack, Violet turned on the balls of her feet and swept her axe through the undead horrors that tried to drag her down into their hell. More zombies appeared out of the corridor and Violet got into the swing of sending them to their final resting place. 

Very soon there were no more zombies left to hit. It was only then, as she surveyed the piles of bodies that surrounded her that she realised there was something wrong. There was blood everywhere, up the walls across the ceiling splashed on her arms face and clothes. Zombies didn’t bleed, at least not like these ones had. Zombies were dead, there blood was like thick black sludge and not bright red like these ones. Whatever these people had been they weren’t proper zombies.

“HEY!”

Violet turned at the sound of the voice behind her; she saw a young black woman pointing a pistol at her.

“Are you infected?” demanded the young woman with the gun, “Talk to me sister or I’ll plug you were you stand.”

Violet gauged the distance to the woman, she could easily throw the axe and dive out the way before the woman could fire. Looking closely at the woman, Violet decided to keep hold of her axe (for now) the woman just looked scared and who wouldn’t be under the circumstances.

“No I’m not infected,” Violet let her axe rest by her side, “What’s going on ‘round here and where did all these zombies come from?”

“You don’t know?” the woman relaxed a little and stopped pointing her gun at Violet, “Where have you been these last few weeks, girl?”

“Not here,” Violet replied truthfully.

“Hey,” the young woman laughed bitterly, “whatever, you better come with me and meet my buddies, we’re trying to get outta here to a pick up point. Those bastards in the choppers left us for dead…is that why you’re here? For the evacuation?”

“Evacuation?” Violet crossed the lobby towards the gun totting woman, she decided to tell her a version of the truth that she might believe. “Look I woke up here about an hour ago, I don’t even know where ‘here’ is exactly and I’ve no idea what’s going on.”

“Crap,” the gun woman shock her head, “you’re not messing with me are you?”

Violet shook her head.

“Are you in for a big surprise, sister,” the woman said sadly.

0=0=0=0


	4. Chapter 4

4.

**Buffy’s Chalet.**

Jumping from the shower, Buffy gave a cry of despair; grabbing a towel with trembling hands she hurriedly wrapped it around herself and stared in horror at the shower cubicle as if it had turned into some sort of futuristic torture device. With a shudder she reached into the shower and shut off the water.

After failing to contact Willow, Buffy had decided to take a shower and put on some fresh clothes, maybe have some breakfast. Perhaps everything would look better once she was showered and dressed. Her attempt at regaining her ‘calm’ had lasted until thirty seconds after she’d stepped under the hot water of the shower; she’d found herself having a really vivid, explicit sexual day dream about…GILES!

Or more precisely what Giles and herself were doing in the shower…together…naked! That was when she’d sort of screamed and leapt from the shower. Drying herself off, Buffy walked quickly into her bedroom; as she searched through her wardrobe for clean clothes her eyes inevitably drifted over to where Giles’ jacket still lay on her bed. Almost immediately her mind started to wander in directions it would normally never wander of its own accord. The towel slipped from around her body and she walked towards her bed as if in a dream.

“AAAAGH!” Buffy screamed as she hurled the jacket across the room; she looked at it as if it was a poisonous snake, “That’s just so gross,” she muttered, “and disturbing.”

Buffy had awoken from her dreamlike state to find herself lying naked on her bed caressing Giles’ tweed jacket. Shivering in disgust at the thoughts that had been going through her mind; she looked at the damp patch on the jacket’s sleeve and wondered if tweed could be dry-cleaned; she really had to contact Willow…now! Frantically she searched out her cellphone again and dialled Willow’s number. The number was engaged as was Faith’s. Giles’ number just rang and rang, Xander’s number was unobtainable and Dawn’s was busy like Willow’s.

“Okay,” she told herself, “all I have to do is get dressed…”

Her voice petered out as her eyes fell on the jacket again, she didn’t want to get dressed she wanted to stay naked and wait for…

“AAGH!” Buffy screamed again and forced herself to concentrate, “Get dressed, get dressed,” 

Repeating the words like some sort of mantra, Buffy pondered her problem; if she could get to Willow everything would be alright. Grabbing the first clean clothes that came to hand she started to dress. Almost immediately Buffy found her mind going off to that torrid place inhabited by herself and her old friend. Her clothes felt so soft against her skin, but she didn’t want soft she wanted hard and rough and…

“Stop that!” Buffy gasped for breath, she paused for a moment before pulling on her jeans.

As she stood in front of her shoe collection trying to decide which pair to wear a thought not directly connected to Giles or shoes entered her mind. She knew there was something wrong; before when she’d been the victim of a love spell or whatever she’d believed that the feelings she was having were real. When Xander had cast his love spell, she’d believed she was really in love with him she’d have done anything for him (and nearly had). When she’d found Spike kneeling on one knee in front of her and proposing, she’d been totally convinced it was all ‘right’ and natural. When she’d seduced the guy at Sunnydale high, she’d felt nothing other than lust. This time she knew there was something wrong so she was able to fight it…so far. Once again, Buffy found her mind drifting away to a palm shaded beach somewhere where herself and her new husband had gone for their honeymoon; she lay on the sand gazing up into…Giles’ eyes!

“NOOOOO!” Buffy wailed jumping up from the bed and running towards the front door.

Stopping before going outside, Buffy had the presence of mind to check she had her keys and some money; she’d need to get a cab to Willow’s place. Grabbing a coat off the hook by the door she pulled it open and found herself starring into the surprised face of Maggie McBride, one of the new instructors she’d employed the previous week. Maggie was several inches taller than Buffy (most people were), she had dark blonde hair and seemed to radiate good health and fitness from every fibre of her being. The young woman in question had been physical fitness instructor in the British army and had already been super fit before she’d became a slayer. Having managed to hide her slayer-ism for some time she’d eventually resigned (or whatever you did to get out of the army). After several months of trying to live the life of a lone slayer she’d seen Buffy’s advert in the newspaper and answered it.

“Hi-de-hi, Ma’am!” Maggie gave Buffy a cheerful grin as they stood face to face in Buffy’s doorway.

“Maggie!” Buffy tried to smile as she wondered why the woman in front of her kept saying ‘Hi-de-hi’ and calling her ‘ma’am’ for Christ’s sake!

“Maggie!” Buffy tried again, “Just the woman I was looking for.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maggie straightened almost to attention.

“Yeah,” Buffy continued uncertainly, she looked Maggie up and down; the woman was dressed in a tracksuit top, camouflaged trousers and shiny black boots. “H-have you seen Mr Giles…recently?”

“No ma’am,” Maggie gave Buffy a knowing wink, “haven’t seen Mr Giles since he took you home last night.”

“You haven’t?” Buffy noticed that Maggie was staring at something, she followed the woman’s eyes to where they where looking at the jacket Buffy was holding tightly in her hands. “AGH!” Buffy screamed and almost dropped Giles’ jacket, “Oh god!” she gasped, “How the hell did that get there? Maggie! You’ve got to help me, I can’t explain what’s going on, because I don’t know myself, but I’ve got to get to Miss Rosenberg’s apartment as quickly as possible.”

“Don’t worry ma’am!” Maggie turned and started to walk briskly along the path outside Buffy’s chalet, “I’ll get you there just follow me!”

Buffy ran after the woman as she headed for the car park.

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

Finding herself tied securely to a chair, Amy started to mutter the words of the spell, that would untie her bond. The fools hadn’t even used magical restraints, but at least they’d stopped threatening her with porcelain figurines. If she was honest with herself, Amy had to admit that her revenge wasn’t actually going exactly to plan. Like she’d not planned on being captured and tied up so soon. Being, at heart, a realist, Amy knew that the chances of being tied up where quite high at some point along her path to vengeance. But this had all happened too quickly; true she’d not had much of a choice as to who’s body she’d appear in. She’d been hoping for Kennedy or even Faith; Kennedy she’d actually met and Faith was more than a little ‘dark’ so transferring her consciousness into either of them would be easier. For a moment Amy wondered what dark secrets this Violet girl kept hidden.

Maybe the time had come for a new plan; on the plus side she had this new younger body. On the minus side she was tied to a chair in the witch-bitch’s living room. If it ever got out who she was her life wouldn’t be worth a dime. Twisting her wrists, Amy found her bonds had loosened enough for her to slip her hands free. Yes, she thought it was time to work out a new plan. All she needed to do now was to escape…some sort of distraction would be handy.

0=0=0=0

**Violet.**

“I’m Rochelle by the way.”

“Violet, Vi,” Vi smiled; she was sitting on the edge of a bed in another hotel room with Rochelle and three guys, everybody but her seemed to be busy loading up magazines for the pistols they all carried.

“Here,” Rochelle held and automatic pistol out to Violet, “can you use one of these?”

“I expect so,” Vi took the weapon in her hand and let her slayer memories tell her all about the pistol, she sighed, “Yep, I can use it.”

“Good,” Rochelle frowned a little as she watched Violet handle the weapon but after a moment or two she just shrugged and turned to the men in the room. “Hey guys, this here is Vi, another recruit to our happy band.”

There was a ragged chorus of ‘Hi’s’ directed at Vi.

“Ignorant bastards,” grinned Rochelle, “don’t know how to make a girl welcome. The big old guy,” Rochelle pointed over to a big, balding, middle-aged, black guy, “that’s Coach…and him,” Rochelle pointed out a young white guy in his early twenties, “that’s Ellis.”

Leaning over to whisper in Violet’s ear, Rochelle said, “Between you and me, I think he sees this entire fuck up as some sorta personal challenge. And finally,” Rochelle pointed to another white guy, “that’s Nick,” she smiled conspiratorially at Vi, “he’s some bad-ass gambler…but other than that he’s okay. So, what’s your story, Vi?”

Noting that Rochelle hadn’t actually said much about herself, Vi sighed.

“Not much really,” Violet quickly thought up a believable story, “I totally don’t remember much. I remember waking up in a hotel room wearing someone else’s clothes,” she’d decided she’d not mention the part about wearing someone else’s body. “Then I got up and went into the hall and was attacked by those zombie things…”

“Zombies,” Rochelle smiled and forced a chuckle, “that’s good. You’ve no idea how you got here or what’s going on?”

“No,” Violet shook her head, “and what’s with the zombies?”

“Not zombies, girl,” Coach called from across the room, “they’re the ‘infected’.”

“Infected?” Violet looked from one face to another, she’d suddenly become the centre of attention.

“Yeah,” Rochelle looked deeply into Violet’s eyes, “you really don’t know what’s going on do you?”

Violet shook her head.

“Look,” Rochelle took one of Violet’s hands in her own, “a couple of weeks ago this virus broke out some place. It’s like rabies only worse, it can’t be treated and it doesn’t kill you. It turns you into,” Rochelle paused trying to find the right words, “into…well, into a killer zombie.”

“Hey,” Nick stood up and walked into the centre of the room, “those choppers aren’t going to wait forever.”

“Choppers?” Violet stood up with her new found friends.

“Yeah,” Ellis spoke for the first time, “army are supposed to send choppers to pick up survivors, which is why we’re here.”

“But we missed our flight,” Coach laughed bitterly, “so we’re headin’ on down to Liberty Mall, there’s supposed to be another pick up from there, but we’ve got to hurry.”

“Here,” Rochelle passed Violet a handful of spare magazines for her pistol.

“Um,” Violet looked around helplessly, “nowhere to put them. Sorry I’m not really dressed for zombie slaying.”

This got a laugh from everyone.

“Here,” Nick took a man’s jacket from off the back of the door and handed it to Violet.

Slipping on the jacket, it was way too big but it had pockets, Violet put the magazines into the pockets and checked that the pistol was ready to fire.

“Good to go!” she said with a grin.

“Okay,” Rochelle walked over to the door, “we head for the fire escape then on down to the lobby. If we’re lucky we might find a car or something. Nick, you’re with me. Coach, Ellis you bring up the rear, Vi, you stay in the middle.”

“Sure,” Vi smiled, these guys were in for a big surprise if they ran into trouble.

Opening the door carefully, Rochelle stepped out into the corridor followed swiftly by Nick. Violet paused in the doorway for a moment, her slayer senses weren’t telling her of any particular threat, just a general non-specific menace coming from all around. Feeling Coach and Ellis behind her she stepped out into the corridor and followed Rochelle and Nick towards the end of the passageway to where the fire escape should be. Coming to the fire door, Rochelle turned the handle and pushed with her shoulder. The door was jammed.

“Here let me,” Nick added his weight to Rochelle’s but still the door wouldn’t move, “must be blocked.”

“Okay people,” Rochelle pushed past the others in the party, “back the other way.”

Eyeing the door, Violet guessed she’d be able to break it down in less than a minute but now everyone was heading in the opposite direction. Shrugging she tagged along, her time would come. 

Everything was going fine until they reached the elevator lobby in the middle of the floor. They’d paused to get their bearings when the zombies started to just materialize from every door and corridor all at once. The slayer in Violet rose up and filled her with all the self-confidence she’d lacked pre-slayer. Lifting her pistol, she started to fire long before the others had even realised they were under attack. Firing steadily at the advancing horrors, Violet fired one round into the forehead of each zombie as it came into her field of view. Aware of her hands changing magazines she never took her eyes off the advancing horde. The sound of her companion’s guns going off and their warning shouts only penetrated her mind like some half remembered dream; she was the slayer, she could do this all day if she had to, nothing could touch her.

“HEY, VI!” Rochelle’s voice penetrated Violet’s ears and consciousness, “TIME TO GO!”

Go? Thought Vi, time to go? Why? Just when she was having so much fun!

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

The sound of the front door buzzer going off jogged Willow out of her thoughts; she’d been trying to work out what was going on, which was difficult because their prisoner wasn’t talking. If things went on as they were she’d have to use more ‘forceful’ methods. After all who knew what terrors poor Vi was suffering in someone else’s body.

“Dawnie,” Willow called, “can you get the door please?”

“Sure,” Dawn got up and headed for the door, “no problem.”

Moments later the sound of the front door being kicked open was swiftly followed by a scream of ‘BUFFY!’ from Dawn. An instant later Buffy arrived in the living room she was breathing heavily and clutching Giles’ tweed jacket.

“Help me!” Buffy looked imploringly at Willow before turning her gaze on Giles, “I love you Giles!” she cried casting the jacket to one side.

Easily pushing Xander out of the way, Buffy advanced on Giles as he backed towards the wall.

“Take me!” Buffy tore open the front of her blouse exposing her breasts, she wasn’t wearing a bra, “Take me now!”

“NOOOO!” cried Giles as he bumped up against the wall, there was nowhere left to run.

“Grab her!” ordered Willow.

The room descended into chaos as Faith and Kennedy leapt onto Buffy’s back. Amid cries of, ‘I want him!’ and ‘Mind the china, its antique!’ the three slayers rolled about on the floor smashing furniture and sending knick-knacks flying through the air to smash against the walls. Eventually the combined strength of Faith and Kennedy subdued Buffy long enough for Willow to zap her with a spell that put her to sleep.

“That should hold her for a while,” Willow looked around at her smashed up living room and sighed sadly.

“Are you sure?” nervously Giles advanced on the sleeping Buffy.

“Yeah,” once again Willow sighed, would she never be able to have nice stuff for fear that it’d get smashed up?

“Hey,” Dawn held up a couple of china figurines and smiled, “I managed to these.”

“Thanks,” Willow smiled back and took a deep breath, “look, we better find out what’s happening to Buffy and…” Willow looked around the room, “Where’s our prisoner?”

“Crap!” Faith headed towards the door, pausing she turned back and looked at Willow, “You deal with Buffy, I’ll chase the bitch,” she looked at Kennedy, “can ya deal with Buffy if she wakes up?”

Nodding her head, Kennedy smiled at the idea that she might get a chance at punching Buffy on the nose.

“Good,” Faith started out for the door again calling over her shoulder, “Harris, you comin’?”

“Nah,” Xander climbed from the floor where he’d found himself after his contact with Buffy, “it’s just the way I’m breathing.”

He headed off after Faith.

“Right,” Willow figuratively rolled up her sleeves, “lets get to work,” she looked up at Dawn, “Dawnie, research…Kennedy?”

“Yeah I know,” Kennedy headed towards the kitchen, “tea and cookies.”

0=0=0=0


	5. Chapter 5

5.

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

Taking a deep breath, Willow let it out slowly; calm and centre, she told herself, calm and centre. Closing her eyes for a moment, to aid her calming exercise; she could hear Kennedy clattering about in the kitchen. She heard Dawn as she started up the computer in the corner of the room and Giles taking down books from the bookshelves. They’d get to the bottom of this somehow; she smiled to herself and opened her eyes.

“Hey Dawnie,” Willow’s eyes fell on Giles’ jacket as it lay draped over the back of Dawn’s chair, “check the pockets of Giles’ jacket would you?”

“You thinking, like a charm or something?” Dawn turned from the computer screen and started to rifle through Giles’ jacket.

“Yeah, maybe,” Willow admitted, at the moment she’d try anything; turning to Giles (he was sitting in a chair as far away from Buffy’s sleeping form as he could and still be in the room) “Giles, can you think of anyone who’d want to do this to you?”

“Not off hand,” Giles looked up from the book he’d been leafing through, “I have to say that making me irresistible to attractive young women is a strange form of…” Giles paused choosing his words carefully, “...attack?”

“You sure you didn’t do this yourself?” Willow frowned down at Giles.

“Willow!” Giles stared at her shocked by such a suggestion, “How could you even think such…”

“Not even by accident?” Willow persisted.

“Willow!” Giles sounded quite angry now as he stood up to confront the witch, “You know perfectly well that I’ve only ever thought of Buffy as a…”

“Oh come off it Giles!” Dawn stood up clutching Giles’ jacket, “Don’t be so coy, I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

“Dawn!?” Giles took off his glasses in shocked surprise.

“You musta known you could never have her,” Dawn cast the jacket to one side, “but you could totally have me whenever want!”

Advancing towards Giles, Dawn started to unbutton her blouse. Giles on the other hand started to back away from the overly amorous teen.

“Willow stop her!” Giles pleaded finding himself backed into a corner and struggling to keep Dawn at arms length.

“Don’t pretend you’ve never wanted to have me Giles,” Dawn was half way out of her blouse and had started to unbuckle the belt that held up her jeans.

“KENNEDY!” Willow called, how could she have been so stupid? 

It was the jacket, she could see that now, it was just like that jacket in Sunnydale. Memories of almost casting the spell to turn that football player guy into a girl flooded back into her mind. The way they’d all acted, the things they’d tried to do…the things they’d done!

“What?” Kennedy came out of the kitchen and stood next to Willow, her eyes fell on the struggling couple in the corner, she didn’t need Willow to tell her what to do.

A couple of long steps took her over to where Giles struggled with Dawn; Kennedy wrapped her arms around Dawn’s neck putting her into a sleeper hold. Flexing her arm muscles, she watched as Dawn’s eyelids flickered closed then lay her gently onto the floor.

“You okay Giles?” Kennedy asked as she knelt down next to Dawn to check her pulse and breathing.

“Yes,” Giles breathed a sigh of relief, “yes, thank-you Kennedy.”

“Now what’s…” Kennedy’s question was interrupted by Willow.

“Kennedy honey, whatever you do don’t touch Giles’ jacket.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Kennedy stood up.

“Don’t even look at it, okay?”

“Sure,” Kennedy turned a puzzled frown on Giles, “You know Giles, you know I’m gay and all…”

“Oh good grief,” Giles stepped quickly away from Kennedy.

“…but if I was going to do it with a guy,” Kennedy smiled, “I’d do it with a guy like you.”

The blast of magic hit Kennedy all down the left side of her body, she sighed softly as she crumpled to the floor.

“Now I’ve got you all to myself!” Willow smiled.

0=0=0=0

**Saltburn-by-the-Sea.**

Running out of Willow’s block, Xander skidded to a halt and thrust his hand in his jeans’ pocket.

“Van!” he called to Faith who was looking up and down the street in search of the woman who’d run off with Violet’s body.

Sprinting over to his van, Xander quickly unlocked the doors and jumped in, he started the engine. Moments later Faith climbed into the passenger seat.

“Which way?” Xander put the van in gear and started to pull out onto the road from the car park in front of the apartment block.

“How the hell should I know?” Faith turned on Xander her eyes flashing with momentary anger; she wasn’t having a good day…she wasn’t having a good week!

Having lost her job at the pub where she’d worked as a barmaid, Faith’d missed too many shifts. The landlady had been sorry to let her go but she needed staff she could rely on. Faith had received a month’s wages instead of notice, but as she’d had a room at the pub she’d had nowhere to live. For the last week she’d been sleeping on the couch at Xander’s place; once again her life as a slayer was screwing with her life as a normal human-being.

“Well,” Xander shrugged his shoulders, “which way would you run?”

It was a reasonable question, “Left,” Faith said after a second’s thought.

Xander pulled the van out into the traffic and started to drive along the road, Saltburn-by-the-Sea wasn’t a big place and if they followed this road they’d soon be out on the sea front.

“She can’t have gone far,” observed Xander, “if we don’t see her in a few minutes we’ll turn round and back track, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Faith scanned the sidewalk (or pavement as they called it in England) for their target.

“Look, Faith,” Xander guided the van up to a junction that would lead them out to the seafront, “I know you’re pissed but didn’t Giles say he was gonna work something out for you?”

“Yeah,” Faith agreed with a heavy sigh, “but no-way am I living on that camp with Buffy.”

“Well,” Xander grinned as he turned out onto Marine Parade, “as much as I enjoy your sparkling company, you can’t sleep on my couch forever.”

“You want I should join ya in y’bed?” Faith snapped and instantly regretted losing her temper, the guy was only trying to help and he’d not tried to touch her even once.

“Nooo,” Xander shook his head as he drove them slowly along the road, “not that I don’t think you’re attractive but…”

“Y’know Xander,” Faith turned and gave him a quick smile, “you’re an alright guy, well better than most…if I’d met you earlier in my life who knows what…”

“Hey!” Xander nodded down the road, “Isn’t that her?”

“Yeah!” Faith shifted in her seat ready to jump out, “Stop the car!”

“Van,” Xander corrected automatically.

Pulling over to the curb, he quickly brought his van to a halt. Faith had the door open and was out on the pavement running in an instant.

0=0=0=0

**Violet.**

“Hey!” Coach called from behind Vi, “this elevators still working.”

Hearing the soft chime of the elevator, Violet shot another couple of zombies in the head, turned, and walked calmly towards the waiting lift.

“LOOK OUT!” her new friends cried as she walked nonchalantly towards the elevator.

Without even bothering to turn around, Violet shot the top off the zombie’s head as it reached to grab her. Turning as the doors slid closed Violet shot another zombie that was reaching for the door; she watched, seemingly fascinated as the zombie’s disfigured head exploded. Finally the door closed and the elevator started to move.

“You’re good,” Rochelle gasped, “and there was me thinking you were some sort of secretary or something.”

“I told you,” Violet ejected the magazines from her pistol and replaced it with a full one, “these aren’t my clothes,” she smiled brightly at Rochelle and the others, “And somewhere in my life I learnt to shoot.”

Shrugging her shoulders again, Violet gave everyone the brightest most innocent smile she could muster. She’d found that people were less likely to question her if she smiled and tried to look innocent. It usually worked, even if she’d just gunned down hordes of infected-zombie-killer-people!

“Smell that?” Ellis sniffed loudly.

“Smoke,” Violet announced, she had in fact been smelling smoke for some time but now it was getting thicker.

“Get ready,” Coach put a pump action shot gun to his shoulder, “we’re nearly at the ground floor.”

Feeling in the pocket of her jacket, Violet counted her full magazines with her fingers. With the one in the pistol she had three full magazines, she also had a couple with three or four rounds in each. They all needed time to reload magazines and she for one could do with a better weapon. The lift bounced to a halt.

“Hey,” Violet lifted her pistol to point it at the slowly opening doors, “does anyone know where there’s a gun shop or something and maybe a clothes shop?”

Stepping out into the smoke and flame filled lobby, Violet shot the burning zombie down long before it got in reach of her. The world exploded into action as her friends followed her out into the lobby. Violet shot another couple of zombies as they blundered through the flames towards her. The lobby appeared to be packed with zombies, had there been a zombie convention on at the hotel?

Whatever, thought Violet as she shot down more zombies, she didn’t like the single minded way that even burning zombies tried to attack them, it seemed only fire arms could stop these monsters. Pausing to reload, Violet looked around to gauge the situation; she could hear her new friend’s weapons going off and see zombies falling all around them. She could also hear her friends coughing as the smoke got thicker. They needed to get out of here, fast!

Looking over to where she thought the exit was, Violet could see nothing but a huge crowd of zombies. They’d never get out that way, there had to be another exit. Walking swiftly towards the lobby’s wall, Violet shot down three more zombies with three quick shots. Perhaps if she followed the wall around she could find a way out. Finding the wall easily, the smoke didn’t seem to be effecting her as much as it did her friends, Violet started to work her way along the wall.

“Over here!” Violet called to her slowly choking friends; her hand had come in contact with the bar that secured a fire door.

Pushing down on the bar, Violet cursed loudly when she found it had been locked with a padlock and chain.

“Here, get back,” Ellis had come up behind Violet and was raising a fire axe preparatory to using it to smash open the door.

“No need,” Violet took hold of the padlock and gave it a yank; the lock broke and the door was now free to open.

Pressing down on the bar, Violet pushed open the door and was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight outside. Stumbling outside she pulled Ellis after her.

“COME ON YOU GUYS!” Violet shouted into the smoke filled lobby, “THIS WAY, LETS GET OUTTA HERE!”

Stumbling through the door Rochelle collapsed onto the ground and started to cough and retch as she gasped for breath. Coach was next out firing his shotgun as he retreated backwards out the door.

“Where’s Nick?” Violet wanted to know.

“He was right behind me,” Coach started to stuff fresh shells into his weapon; there was a scream from inside the lobby.

“NICK!” they all cried in horror as they realised Nick was still inside.

Before anyone could stop her Violet plunged back into the burning hotel lobby. Shooting down a couple of burning zombies she stood amidst the smoke and fire trying to penetrate the gloom and see their missing friend.

“NICK!” Violet cried, “CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

“HELP ME!” Nick’s voice came from somewhere over to Violet’s left, “OH GOD! OH GOD! NOOOOOOO!”

Plunging through the smoke Violet soon saw what was happening to Nick. He’d been grabbed by a whole bunch of zombies and pulled to the floor. Nick’s pistol lay empty on the floor nearby as the zombies started to literally rip him apart. There was no help for it, Violet raised her pistol, even if she rescued Nick from the zombies he was no doubt infected by now. Firing once, Violet turned her back on the feasting zombies and headed for the door. Once outside in the sunlight she took a deep cleansing breath of fresh air.

“Where’s Nick?” Rochelle asked trying to see around Violet and back into the building.

“He won’t be coming,” Violet slipped the magazine from her pistol and replaced it with her last full one. “Come on, we better get outta here.”

0=0=0=0

**Saltburn-by-the-Sea.**

Having taken advantage of the confusion in the apartment, Amy had made a break for freedom. Wanting to get as far away from the apartment as she could she’d taken off down the first road that had appeared to offer a means of escape. At the moment she was walking swiftly along a sea front road, the sea was on her left and buildings that looked like Victorian hotels were on her right. The flow of traffic on the road next to her would seem to suggest that she was heading towards the centre of the small town.

Realising she’d made a huge mistake coming here, Amy started to plan her escape; she realised now that she’d been a fool to try and challenge Rosenberg and her slayer friends on their home turf. No, she should have taken them down separately, tricked them into fighting her one on one. For a witch like herself a lone slayer was easy to defeat if they didn’t have magical back up. Now, Amy needed to get out of this place and disappear, get on a train or bus; go to an airport and leave the country, hide…and then…

Hearing a vehicle screech to a halt behind her, Amy started to turn just as she felt a strong hand clamp down on her shoulder. Pulled around roughly she found herself standing face to face with Faith. Desperately Amy pushed at her assailant and broke her hold for a moment; Amy started to gather her magic to blast the Dark Slayer into oblivion.

“Alright,” came a deep male voice from behind Amy, “what’s going on here then?” PC Thomson wanted to know as he held onto the young woman who’d run into him.

“Thank god you’re here, officer” gasped Amy, she pointed back at Faith who was standing only a few feet away, “that woman’s trying to kidnap me!”

“What!?” Faith tried for the ‘hurt innocence’ look, she almost succeeded.

“Yes!” Amy attempted to think up a story that sounded believable and wouldn’t get her locked up, she gave up after a moment and decided to use magic instead adding “She’s part of a weird religious cult and they’re trying to kidnap me.”

“Oh, I see,” Thomson looked sceptically from one young woman to the other. “Well?” he invited Faith to defend herself.

0=0=0=0


	6. Chapter 6

6.

“Hey honey,” Faith tried to look really innocence again, “don’t say that…look I’m sorry.” Faith turned her gaze onto the cop and gave him a sad smile, “Look, officer, this is just a little lovers spat, y’know what I mean?”

Thomson looked from one girl to the other, he didn’t have time for this and anyway religious cults just didn’t happen in places like Saltburn-by-the-Sea.”

“Alright,” he gave both young women his gravest frown, “I’ll let you off this time, just keep it off the streets, alright?”

“Sure thing officer,” Faith smiled broadly at the cop and quickly pulled Amy over to stand next to her.

“Mind you do,” Thomson nodded to each of the girls before going on his way.

“Shout,” warned Faith as she twisted Amy’s arm behind her back, “and I’ll snap your arm clean off…don’t think I won’t coz I’m having a really bad day!”

Watching the police officer leave, Amy starred in horror at the cop’s retreating back. He should have taken Amy’s part, he should have protected her from the slut-slayer; she’d had his mind in the palm of her hand! What had gone wrong? Why hadn’t her magics worked? Maybe cops in this part of the world were resistant to magic?*

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

Noticing the look of abject terror on Giles’ face, Willow stopped in her tracks as she made her way across the room towards him.

“NO!” Willow cried in panic, “I didn’t mean it like that…I mean I’d never want to do that sorta thing…I mean, look gay now,” her eyes fell on Kennedy, “and I know Kennedy’s gay and that didn’t help and you are quite handsome…for your age and if I was gonna do it with, you know, a guy I wouldn’t mind doing it with…oh goddess now I’m sounding like…”

“Willow,” Giles relaxed visibly, “it’s alright.”

“Oh thank the goddess,” sighed Willow, she looked down at all the sleeping bodies that were littering her home, “what’re we gonna do Giles?”

For a moment Willow felt about sixteen again, but only for a moment; she answered her own question, “We’re gonna get to the bottom of this before Faith throws herself at you. Coz, like, I don’t think I could stop her.”

“Good grief,” Giles hadn’t thought of that they needed to find out what was happening and fast.

0=0=0=0

**Violet.**

“Who are you?” Rochelle asked as she pulled down the rifle from the gun shop’s display rack, “I mean really.”

“I told you,” Violet let her fingers trail along the row of weapons, she’d know when she found the one she was most suited for, “I’m Vi, now that’s really all I know.”

“Don’t give me that,” Rochelle replied angrily, “no one can shoot like that, half the time you weren’t even aiming.”

“Guess I’m lucky,” Violet stopped and looked up at the weapon her hand rested on, this was the ‘one’.

“An-and that padlock,” Rochelle wasn't giving up that easily, “it just snapped open when you pulled at it.”

“It’s a knack,” Violet smiled innocently; the smiling thing didn’t seem to be working anymore, at least not on Rochelle.

“Hey, you two,” Coach walked over to where the two young women were staring at each other, “lay off it, eh? The only way we’re gonna get through this thing an’ out the other side is by workin’ together, okay? Be a team, right?”

“Fine by me,” Violet started to look around for magazines for her new rifle; Rochelle turned her back on Violet and stalked off into the depths of the gun shop.

“Don’t mind her,” Coach started to load magazines for his new M16 as he stood and watched Violet, “she worked for the local TV news channel, she can’t help askin’ questions.”

“Yeah I know,” Violet started to pile up boxes of rifle rounds on the counter, “and I really wish I knew why I can do this stuff, but I honestly don’t know.”

Violet didn’t like to lie to people, particularly nice people like Coach and Rochelle (she wasn’t too sure about Ellis), but since she’d become a slayer lying to cover her tracks had become almost second nature. Sometimes, like now, it weighed heavily on her soul.

“Don’t you think that things a bit big for you girl?” Coach gave Violet a fatherly smile.

“What this little thing?” Violet gave Coach the sort of smile that sent icy fingers running up and down his spine, “Y’know the AK47 is the preferred weapon of the zombie slayer, they make a distinctive sound when it’s fired at them…like UUGH-SPLAT!!”

“Yeah, sure,” Coach shook his head, he’d never fully understand kids today, “lets get ready to go, those choppers won’t wait forever.”

0=0=0=0

**Saltburn-by-the-Sea.**

Anyone coming into the apartment and finding Willow and Giles standing over three unconscious young women would no doubt have jumped to completely the wrong conclusion. Heaving Dawn and Kennedy up onto the couch, Giles arranged them carefully and tastefully, then stood back to admire what he’d done. 

“Don’t they look cute like that,” Willow smiled, “like three sleeping wise monkeys.”

“Willow,” Giles warned, “this is no time for levity. We need to get to the bottom of this. Is this a spell or is it something I’m doing unwittingly; will I have to spend the rest of my life sequestered away for fear of driving women wild with desire?”

Turning to look at Giles, Willow raised an eyebrow.

“Gotta say Giles,” Willow turned and stared full on at Giles, “like, I’m not getting any sexy vibes off you…maybe it’s because I’m a lesbian witch?”

“Being a gay slayer didn’t seem to protect Kennedy,” Giles pointed out.

“Ah, yeah, but I have the witchiness thing,” Willow countered.

“Kennedy’s been gayer than you and for longer,” Giles pointed out, “I think that evens out against the witchi…magic powers.”

“Hmmm,” Willow’s shoulders slumped a little, “yeah you’re probably right.”

There had to be a reason why she wasn’t affected, thought Willow, if she could just find out what that was, maybe she’d find a way of stopping it. Her eye fell onto the jacket where it lay on the floor. The guy’s football jacket in Sunnydale; all she’d had to do was look at it and she’d fallen helplessly in love with the wearer. As had Dawn, Anya and Buffy; Willow shivered a little as she remembered what Buffy had done with the boy. Now, she’d been staring at Giles’ jacket for ages and she felt nothing…zip. So what had the others done that she hadn’t?

“Giles?” Willow gestured for Giles to follow her into the kitchen, the sight of all her sleeping friends was beginning to depress her, “Exactly when did Buffy start to…” Willow searched for the right words, “lust after your body? Describe where you were and what you’d been doing.”

“Ah!” Giles sat down at the kitchen table and accepted the cup of tea that Willow had just poured, “I see what you’re getting at, yes well; I found her a little worse for wear at the party for the younger slayers…I said we shouldn’t serve alcohol…”

“Giles!” Willow warned, “Off topic.”

“Yes, sorry,” Giles frowned as he thought back, was it only the previous night? “I took her back to her chalet, she seemed quite drunk…”

“Was she leaning on you?” Willow asked as an idea started to form in her mind, “Like touching you?”

“Well of course she couldn’t stand unassisted…” Giles’ eyes grew wide as he realised where Willow was going with this, “In fact she was all over me…”

“Touching your jacket?”

“Yes, yes!” Giles snatched off his glasses and polished them briskly, “It wasn’t ‘til we’d got to her chalet that she…well she basically attacked me!”

“And got your jacket…”

“Yes,” Giles nodded his head and replaced his spectacles, “I was able to slip it off when she grabbed me and I escaped.”

“Then you came here,” Willow added, “then Buffy arrived with your jacket…”

“And you told Dawn to search it just before she tried to…well you know?”

“Yeah I do,” Willow frowned as she tried to puzzle something out, “but that doesn’t explain why Kennedy became infected.”

The two sat in silence for a moment sipping their tea.

“AH!” Giles lifted a finger, “But she’d touched Dawn…”

“And Buffy!” Willow gasped, “Which must mean that its some kind of powder or something, which means…”

“Faith!” Giles looked at Willow with horror filled eyes.

“Oh, Goddess,” Willow quickly realised where Giles was going with this.

Giles and Willow looked at each other with terror in their eyes as visions of what a lust crazed Faith could and would do!

0=0=0=0

“Come on you!” Faith hauled Amy from the back of Xander’s van, “Don’t try and run again,” she warned. “I can run faster than you and when I catch you…”

“Faith,” Xander called quietly from the other side of the van.

“What!?” Faith snapped, she wanted to hit someone or something and didn’t really care who.

“Calm down would you?” Xander tried to ‘defuse’ Faith, “Can’t you see the girl’s terrified enough as it is? Here,” Xander walked around the van and took Amy by the arm, “let me,” this last was to Faith, Xander turned to the Violet impersonator, “you’re not going to run again are you?”

Shaking her head Amy let herself be lead towards the apartment block, she wouldn’t run now, maybe later; when she’d worked out what had happened to her magic. There was no way she was going to stay in the clutches of these lunatics any longer than she had to. 

“Hey,” Faith sounded a little less like a maniac killer, “Y’know I can’t stay sleeping on ya couch forever.”

Hope blossomed in Xander’s heart maybe Faith was going to move out and stop leaving all her underwear and wet towels all over his flat. His silence seemed to encourage Faith to complete her thought.

“I was wondering,” Faith smiled, “well, I was wondering if Giles had a spare room…or something.”

“What!?” Xander almost stumbled at the thought of Giles and Faith sharing an apartment.

“Hey,” Faith shrugged her shoulders before ringing the buzzer for Willow and Kennedy’s flat, “he’s not so bad y’know? In fact he’s…”

“If you’re gonna say that Giles is handsome or whatever,” Xander stared over Amy’s head to where Faith stood; what was wrong with all the women today? “I’ll throw-up!”

“Well,” Faith closed the door behind them and started up the stairs after Xander and Amy, “he is in a sorta tweedy way.”

Shaking his head in despair Xander stopped outside Willow’s door, he really hoped that Willow had worked out what the hell was going on. He rang the bell and smiled as Willow opened the door almost immediately. Xander noticed there was something unusual going on almost immediately. Willow had changed her clothes and her hair was wet as if she’d just had a shower; Giles appeared to be dressed in towels and his hair was wet too. Oh god, thought Xander, what the hell had been going on in his absence?

“What’s going on?” Xander asked with a nervous grin, “No one said anything about a toga party.”

“Hi Giles,” Faith closed the door behind her, “you look so hot!”

Willow made a gesture and Faith fell unconscious on the floor.

“WHAT THE HELL’S GOING ON!?” demanded Xander loudly.

“Calm down Xan, I’ll explain,” sighed Willow, “but first.”

Amy noticed Willow move her hand, just before the world turned black and she slumped to the floor.

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

“So it’s this dust stuff,” Xander looked down to where Giles’ jacket lay on the floor; it was covered in some sort of pink powder.

Willow moved her hand and the powder disappeared, but as she walked around the room he could see small patches of the stuff light up.

“It doesn’t seem to affect men,” Willow explained.

“Thank god,” added Giles with a heart felt shudder.

“How do we get rid of it?” Xander wanted to know; it was a relief to know that all the women in his life hadn’t gone insane.

“I can hoover it away were it’s on a hard surface…”

Xander could hear a big ‘but’ coming.

“…But, clothes and people need to be washed so…”

“So?” Xander wondered why Willow and Giles were looking at him so intently.

“So,” Willow continued, “you see I can’t do it coz I might get infected…”

“And it would be inappropriate for me,” Giles pointed out “…so…”

“So?” Xander looked from Willow to Giles and back again, “what’s with all the so-ing?”

The penny finally dropped in Xander’s mind.

“NO!” he said firmly and backed against the wall.

“But you have to,” begged Willow, “I can help a little; I can do a de-lusting spell on you, but you’re gonna have to do most of it yourself.”

“No,” Xander shook his head, “I couldn’t,” he spluttered, “it wouldn’t be right!”

“Look,” Giles stepped forward and used his no nonsense, end of the world type voice, “Willow can magic their clothes off and then into the shower…but…”

“BUT!?” Xander really wished he’d stayed in bed this morning.

“You’ll have to wash them down,” Willow pointed out, “I’d like to help but do you really want to risk the most powerful witch in the world lusting after Giles’ body?”

“Not my first choice,” agreed Xander.

“Nor mine,” agreed Giles receiving a slightly hurt look off Willow.

“And anyway,” Willow crossed her arms over her chest, “isn’t this a dream come true for you?”

“Willow!” Xander looked at his old friend both shocked and dismayed, “Maybe,” he admitted after a little thought, “once…but not now! I mean, they’re my friends, Dawn’s like a little sister to me…and Faith!” Xander went deathly white for a moment, “If she ever found out!”

“Don’t worry,” Willow tried to sound reassuring, “I’ll deal with Faith if its necessary…now we better get on. These knock-out spells won’t last forever.”

“Yeah alright,” Xander knew deep down that there wasn’t really any alternative.

“There’s some rubber gloves in the kitchen,” Willow started to get everyone organised, “and you might wanna put on one of my aprons.”

Willow owned some heavy duty rubber aprons for when she was mixing magic potions.

“Great,” muttered Xander, “rubber and wet, naked women.”

“Um, yeah,” Willow hadn’t thought of that, “oh well, you’ll just have to work round it.”

“Easy for you to say,” added Xander miserably.

“Look,” Willow tried to sound business-like and professional, “the sooner we start the sooner we finish.” She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down; the thought of all these naked, wet, female bodies was actually starting to turn her on, maybe she still had a little of the dust on her somewhere. “Lets get organised, Xander, bathroom.”

Reluctantly, Xander collected the apron and gloves from the kitchen and headed off to the bathroom.

“Giles, you go into the kitchen and work the washing machine, okay?”

Giles nodded and walked into the kitchen and prepared the washing machine, luckily it was a big one.

“Right,” sighed Willow when everyone was in place.

Snapping her fingers, Buffy’s clothes vanished then reappeared next to the washing machine. Again Willow snapped her fingers and Buffy vanished, there was a quiet scream of surprise from Xander as Buffy’s naked body appeared in the bath. As soon as Xander had finished his work she’d wake them and they could dry themselves off in her and Kennedy’s bedroom. Listening to the water running, Willow sighed loudly.

“Oh well,” she said to herself, “one down, four to go.”

0=0=0=0

*; It is a little known fact that Police Constables in the North-east of England are completely impervious to magic of any kind! 


	7. Chapter 7

7.

**Saltburn-by-the-Sea.**

An uncomfortable silence lay over Willow’s living room as all her friends sat around and wouldn’t say anything or even make eye-contact with each other. Dawn, Buffy, Faith and the woman in Violet’s body were all wearing clothes from Willow or Kennedy’s wardrobes as their own clothes were still wet. Giles was dressed in a selection of brightly coloured bath towels as neither Willow nor Kennedy had any clothes that would fit him. Willow decided it was time to lighten the mood a little.

“At least,” she smiled weakly, “you’re not all throwing yourselves at Giles now.”

“Not the time, Will,” Xander muttered; he still hadn’t ‘recovered’ from seeing all his female friends naked and helpless.

“Sorry…” Willow looked down at her hands.

“Hey, look,” Faith climbed to her feet, “I’m going home to take a shower…” realising what she was implying she looked over at Xander, “No offence Harris, but…”

“Yeah,” Xander stood up and started for the door, “come-on I’ll drive you.”

“Hey!” Willow called out desperately, she didn’t want her friends feeling like this, it hurt her inside. “You guys,” she tried to sound cheerful, “don’t you wanna know why you were all, like madly in love with Giles?”

Everyone just looked at Willow but said nothing, Willow wilted under their gaze.

“Yes,” Giles decided it was time to take charge, “while you were all being…um…” Giles searched for the right word, but was interrupted by Faith.

“Felt-up by Harris,” she muttered.

“HEY!” Xander snapped angrily; which started a general outburst of accusations and angry denials.

“SHUT UP!” Giles roared, everybody shut up and turned to look at him, “Look, this has been an unpleasant experience for everybody; and before you accuse Xander of anything let me remind you,” Giles swept his eyes over the women in the group, “that some of you were quite willing to throw yourselves at me body and soul. Xander only did what was necessary and I’m sure he remained a gentleman through out. This has been a traumatic experience for everybody. Now, Willow will you explain what you think happened, and may I remind you there is still an interloper in Violet’s body.”

Everyone turned to look at ‘Violet’.

“Okay people, lets get down to business,” Willow tried to sound professional and in control. “Giles and I examined some of the powder while Xander was,” Willow scowled at Faith before she could say anything, “decontaminating you. As far as we can work out the powder was basically the magical equivalent of itching powder.”

“What!?” Buffy looked up from the couch where she sat, “Who, why?”

“Willow’s right,” Giles added, “we’ve all been the victims of a prank…”

“Probably one of the trainee slayers,” Willow pointed out.

“Yes,” agreed Giles, “normally this sort of thing would cause the intended victims to indulge in some…minor but inappropriate activity.”

“I think me trying to rape Giles is a little more than ‘inappropriate’,” Buffy pointed out.

“Well, we think,” Giles gestured to Willow, “that however was playing the ‘prank’ was inexperienced and used far too much of the powder.”

“No they weren’t,” Amy looked up from where she’d been securely tied to a chair, “it was me!”

“WHAT!” suddenly all eyes were turned on Amy/Violet.

“Yeah,” Willow turned hard eyes on ‘Violet’, “just who the hell are you?”

“Don’t you remember me Rosenberg?” Amy/Violet struggled to loosen her bonds.

“Goddess!” Willow rolled her eyes and sighed irritably, “If I knew who you were I wouldn’t ask.”

“I’m Amy,” Amy replied.

“Amy?” Everyone turned and looked at each other shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads.

“Amy!” Amy repeated, “You know? Amy Madison!”

“Oh!” Buffy and Willow shared a look of recognition, “Yeah, Amy.”

“So what’s all this about” Buffy wanted to know, “and what have you done to Violet?”

“Yeah,” agreed Willow, “we all thought you’d just run off and hidden somewhere.”

“BUT!” Amy stared in amazement at the people looking down at her, “You can’t tell me that you weren’t out looking for me after what I’d done.”

“To be honest,” Buffy shrugged her shoulders, “what with Sunnydale about to slide into hell we’d got more important things on our minds.”

“WHAT!” Amy looked incredulously at Buffy not really believing her.

“Yeah,” Willow nodded her head in agreement with Buffy, “like Buffy says we had more important things on our minds. I don’t think I’ve given you a second thought in,” Willow paused to think, “well…ages.”

“Who is this bitch?” Faith asked Kennedy quietly.

“She was some witch who tried to screw with Willow's mind; I’ll fill you in later if you want.” Kennedy looked over at Willow remembering how Amy had nearly killed both Willow and herself. “Honey, can I beat the crap out of her now.”

“After we’ve got her out of Violet’s body, sure why not,” Willow gave Kennedy a sweet smile.

“BUT!” Amy’s mouth worked silently for a moment or two before she found the words to speak again, “You’re trying to tell me that you weren’t after me?”

“No,” Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, we’d thought you’d just gone away,” Willow explained.

“NO!” Amy shook her head violently, “NO! I can believe that! After what I’d tried to do? NO!”

“As I said,” Willow smirked, “you’re really not that important.”

Amy’s world started to collapse around her; all the years of running and pointless hiding. Never using her magics for fear that she’d be spotted and found out. The years wasted living in poky little bedsits when she should have been living in mansions. All the opportunities missed, the lovers she’d never had, the life she’d missed out on. All because she wasn’t important enough to even remember?

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Amy screamed in utter despair.

0=0=0=0

**Violet**

Creeping along the street, with her new friends behind her, Violet kept a careful look out for zombies. Clutching her AK47 across her chest she glanced down at the camouflaged clothes she’s filched from the gun shop. Although she’d found clothes to replace the dress she’d been wearing, plus a combat vest to carry all the spare ammo she wanted, Violet hadn’t been able to find any boots or shoes to fit her small feet. Her priorities were clear; first; don’t get eaten by zombies and second; find some footwear, heels just didn’t go with fatigues. Pausing, Violet looked up at the shop front next to her.

“Hey that was lucky,” a large Walmart store stood dark and deserted next to her, “Hey guys,” she turned to look at Coach, Rochelle and Ellis, “I’m just going in here, I need shoes, okay?”

“F’Christ’s sake!” Rochelle turned to look at the others, “The worlds being taken over by zombies and she wants to go shoe shopping.”

Thinking that what Rochelle had said did sound like something Buffy might do, Violet shrugged her shoulders, she needed shoes, it couldn’t be helped. Taking hold of the door handle she gave it a slayer strength tug. There was the sound of breaking metal followed almost immediately by the sound of the shop alarm going off.

“What!?” Violet looked around in confusion, she’d not really expected that to happen.

“FUCK!” Rochelle started to hustle everyone towards the doorway and inside the shop.

“What’s wrong?” Violet wanted to know, “it’s not like we’ll be arrested or anything.”

“Zombies are attracted by sound,” Ellis informed her as he scanned the street outside for trouble.

“Sorry,” gasped Violet, “I didn’t know.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Coach headed into the dimly lit shop, “let’s see if there’s a back way outta here.”

“TOO LATE!” Ellis shouted an instant before he opened fire with his carbine.

Turning to look out into the road, Violet saw the first Zombies appear and fall to Ellis’ burst of fire. Within seconds more zombies started to appear and make their way towards the shop. Violet put her rifle to her shoulder and started to fire, she watched as her high velocity 7.62mm rounds chopped the zombies to dog meat.

“WE CAN’T HOLD THEM HERE FOREVER!” yelled Coach over the sound of all the firing, “BACK OFF AND LETS GET OUTTA HERE!”

Backing away from the door and still firing into the crowd of zombies that clustered around the entrance, not even Violet noticed movement coming from between the rows of shelves. Not until it was too late.

Firing a long burst into the zombies by the door, Violet watched as the bodies started to pile up. Normally even the most stubborn of demons would have been knocked back on their heels by these sorts of casualties. But not the zombies, they just kept pressing forward stumbling over the bodies of their fellows each trying to get to the uninfected flesh beyond.

Turning away to run deeper into the store, Violet took the empty magazine from her weapon and replaced it with a fresh one. As she did so she passed Ellis who appeared to be having great fun gunning down zombies with his AR15. Getting into position to cover Ellis as he retreated, Violet was just in time to see the zombie leap from the top of the row of shelves to her right and land on top of Ellis.

Shifting her aim she shot the zombie, its head exploded covering Ellis with blood and brains. Violet moved forward and grabbed Ellis by the arm and started to drag him backwards across the floor as she fired one handed into the mob of zombies that seemed to fill the supermarket aisle to overflowing. Hanging on to his rifle with one hand and trying to wipe blood from his eyes with the other, Ellis wasn’t much help at keeping the zombies at bay.

Backing into something, Violet screamed; she dropped Ellis as she turned to face whatever it was behind her. Snarling like a wild animal, Violet lashed out at the zombie that had sprung out behind her. Her rifle butt hit the walking horror in the jaw with a satisfying *crunch*. A normal human would have gone down not to get up again until after they’d been released from hospital, but not this zombie. The blow did, however, give Violet time to fire her rifle into the creature and send it spinning down the aisle. Hearing a scream and more firing behind her; Violet turned again to see, Ellis firing wildly into a crowd of zombies as they tried to drag him away. Adding her fire to Ellis’ they managed to beat off the attack.

“COME ON!” Violet grabbed Ellis by the collar of his shirt and half dragged, half carried him across the floor.

“LEAVE ME!” Ellis screamed trying to break free of Violet’s hold on him, “IT’S TOO LATE!”

“WHAT!?” Violet stopped to look back into Ellis is face.

“Too late,” he panted and pointed to the bite marks on his arm he laughed bitterly, “they got me already.” 

“But,” Violet looked up and around, for the moment they were zombie free, “we’ll get you to a hospital, there must be something we can do.”

“Don’t you get it?” Ellis pushed himself away from Violet, “I’m one of them now, there’s nothing anyone can do.”

“But…” Violet’s mind wouldn’t accept this; in her world there was always an alternative, there was magic, there was always a chance all you had to do was find the right book or spell or…

“Finish it,” Ellis looked up into Violet’s eyes, “don’t let me turn into one of them.”

“But…” Violet felt her eyes start to fill with tears, “I can’t…I…”

“DO IT!” begged Ellis.

“NO!” Violet jumped at the sound of a shot from behind her; she screamed as she saw Ellis’ head explode.

“Lets get goin’,” Coach took hold of her arm and pulled her gently but firmly away from Ellis’ body, “there’s nothin’ any of us could’ve done for him.”

Stumbling after Coach, Violet soon found herself cutting down a cluster of zombies through tear blurred eyes. She didn’t know why she was crying, she hardly knew the guy it was just so unfair. Sniffing back her tears, she took a deep breath; smelling the blood and gun smoke, Violet changed the magazine on her rifle. Seeing a swam of zombies coming down the aisle towards her she settled her rifle on her hip and firing steadily started to advance on them.

“Come on you fuckers!” she snarled under her breath, “Slayer here; lets see what you’ve got!”

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

Sitting on a chair in the corner of the room Amy listened with growing disbelief as her captors discussed how they were going to get their friend back. Amy had spilled her guts to them telling them what she’d done; there didn’t seem much point in lying anymore. Most of the talking was done by Giles and Willow, every now and then, Dawn would add something to the conversation. After several minutes they appeared to have come to a decision.

“So,” Willow sighed, “she took over one of the young slayer’s minds so she’d cover Giles in that Lust Dust stuff. With Buffy running around after Giles and probably the rest of us joining her this was supposed to distract us from the next part of her plan.”

“And it would have worked too,” Giles looked for something to polish his glasses with, finding nothing he replaced them un-cleaned.

“Then she swapped bodies with Vi,” Willow continued.

“Why?” Dawn gave the miserable Amy a puzzled look.

“Remember,” Willow sipped a cup of tea given to her by Kennedy who was handing out tea and cookies once more, “she thought we were after her so she wanted a disguise.”

“I wonder what she was going to do,” Giles glanced in Amy’s direction, “and were did she send her own body and Violet’s consciousness?”

“She claims not to know,” Willow sighed and put down her tea cup.

“So she says,” Dawn added sceptically.

“I don’t think she’s lying, Dawn,” Giles removed his glasses again and rubbed his eyes before replacing them, “I think she wants to be back in her own body as much as we want Violet back.”

“Poor Vi,” sighed Dawn.

“Whatever,” Giles pursed his lips, “what ever the truth is we still have to get Amy and Violet back to their proper bodies and places.”

“Okay,” Willow rubbed her forehead, “I could try a sort of general portal spell, hopefully if I’m in contact with,” Willow nodded in the direction of Amy/Violet, “the fact that she’s both Amy and our Vi will send them both to their right bodies and so on.”

“All sounds a little hit and miss to me,” observed Giles.

“It’s the best we have, Giles,” Willow frowned, “lets get everything ready.”

0=0=0=0


	8. Chapter 8

8.

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

“Okay,” Willow walked over to stand in front of Amy, “we’re gonna take a stab at getting you home and our friend back.”

“Yeah,” Amy stood up and looked a Willow sceptically, “what are you going to do? Open a portal right here in this room?”

“Yeah,” Willow nodded her head, “something like that.”

Leading a rather cowed Amy into the middle of the room, Willow stopped to explain what was going to happen.

“Look people,” she called to get their attention, “I’m gonna open a portal in the kitchen doorway there, so I want you to all keep well back.”

“Let’s get some weapons,” Faith nudged Kennedy, “just in case, y’know?”

Nodding her agreement, Kennedy put down her teapot and led Faith to where her weapons here kept in the hall closet.

“Dawn,” Willow continued, “you hold the spell book, Giles you be ready to light the offerings and Amy,” Willow turned to look at the increasingly down cast woman by her side, “I’ll need you to hold my hand and think about your proper body, okay?”

“Should I chant, ‘there’s no place like home’ and click my heels together?”

“Only if you think it’ll help,” Willow observed dryly, “okay everybody, places.”

Buffy, Faith and Kennedy stood to one side of the room clutching swords and axes; Kennedy couldn’t help thinking that maybe she should have removed any surviving keep-sakes from the room before Willow got started. Too late now she sighed; Dawn held the spell book open as Willow started to say the words. Giles began to light the bowls of herbs and minerals that had been placed in a pattern around Willow’s feet.

“There’s no place like home,” Amy muttered under her breath.

As Willow came to the end of her spell a wall of what looked like water appeared in the kitchen doorway, Amy sighed miserably. How could she have fooled herself into thinking that she could have taken on a witch like Willow Rosenberg? There was no way she could have opened a portal like that, of course it would be even more impressive if she actually ended up in her own body again and the little lost slayer got home again.

“Go!” Willow pushed Amy gently towards the portal.

0=0=0=0

**Violet**

“We’re fucked, man!” Rochelle cried as she swapped an empty magazine for a full one.

Cut off from any escape, Violet had to admit the woman was probably right. Pumping round after round into the zombie horde, Violet couldn’t see any way out. They’d tried to get to the rear of the store in the hopes of finding a loading bay or something. All they’d found was another crowd of zombies smashing their way into the building from the rear. The beleaguered threesome had taken refuge in an office to one side of the loading bay.

There was no way out and the zombies would eventually break in when they inevitably ran out of ammunition and all because Violet had wanted some shoes. Firing a burst into the zombies that packed the doorway, Violet looked around desperately hoping to see something she’d missed before, but she hadn’t. This was it, they were in a dead end and they might as well turn their weapons on themselves and end it right now. Perhaps there were times when there were no alternatives, times when a slayer, whatever she did, just had to fight until she died.

“Fuck ‘em!” Violet fired into the zombies once more; being a slayer had been fun while it had lasted.

The stuff she’d done, the friends she’d made, she’d have never done anything half as worthwhile back in her old life; now it was time to pay the bill. Firing again and again, Violet noticed Rochelle throw her empty gun at the advancing horde and pull out a pistol to fire into the loathsome creatures. Coach was using the butt of his rifle as a club now it was empty. Firing once more, Violet looked down, the AK had run dry and there were no more full magazines left in her harness. This, as they say, was it…

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

Watching Amy/Violet stumble through Willow’s portal, Dawn was shocked to see her friend reappear almost immediately and fall to the floor.

“VI?” Dawn rushed to her friend’s side.

“NO!” screamed Violet looking around the room wildly, “I’ve got to go back! I can’t leave them there…”

Jumping on the distressed slayer, Kennedy and Faith prevented her from jumping back through the portal. Faith grabbed hold of the assault rifle and pulled it from Violet’s hands. Automatically she removed the magazine from the weapon and pulled back the bolt to make sure it was empty before leaning it against the wall.

“I’ve got to go back!” Violet sobbed as Kennedy held her in her arms and looked up helplessly at Dawn.

Kneeling down beside Violet, Dawn took her from Kennedy and wrapped her arms around her friend.

“Shh, shh,” she soothed as she rocked the weeping girl back and forth, “you’re safe now.”

0=0=0=0

**Amy.**

Finding herself on the floor of a room that stank of blood and gun smoke, Amy looked up to find Zombie like things climbing through the door and window. She saw the slavering horrors coming towards her, she saw two normal looking people battling hopelessly against the creatures with empty guns. As one of the rotting misbegotten monsters reached for Amy she screamed, but only for a split-second, until she remembered who and what she was. Holding up her hand palm towards the monster about to bite into her, Amy said words of power and laughed with relief.

A line of incredibly bright light reached out to the first zombie and hit it on the forehead. In an instant the zombie stood frozen in place light escaping from its eyes and mouth. More beams of light burst from the zombies head to hit the misbegotten creatures that shambled in its wake; they too came to a halt, light pouring from their mouths and eyes as more beams of light spread to the rest of the zombie horde. By the time the fifth set of zombies had been hit by the light the first ones were turning to dust and disintegrating; very soon only ash blew on the breeze where moments before the zombie horde had stood. Amy clambered to her feet and watched as the two people in the room with her stared at her in wide eyed wonder.

“Vi?” gasped the girl, “W-what happened?”

“Vi’s gone home,” Amy smiled to herself, this looked like it could be fun, “Amy’s back in town, now who the hell are you?”

0=0=0=0

**Willow and Kennedy’s Apartment.**

“Um, Willow,” Giles came up behind Willow, they both looked at the portal that stubbornly refused to go away, “don’t you think you should switch it off? I mean eventually you’re going to want to use your kitchen again.”

“Can’t,” Willow whispered out of the side of her mouth, “it should have disappeared once Vi got back.” She glanced over her shoulder to where Dawn was fussing over her friend while Kennedy looked rather angrily at the blood and gore that had stained the carpet. “Maybe it’ll go away by itself?”

Giles frowned; he was beginning to think that perhaps this wasn’t their portal.

“You know,” Giles leaned closer to Willow so they could speak without anyone else hearing, “this could be a natural portal.”

“A what?” Willow frowned at Giles.

“Yes,” Giles nodded his head, “they’re more common than you think, though I’ve never actually seen one…they’re supposed to be responsible for several famous historical disappearances.”

“Like?” Willow raised a sceptical eyebrow.

“Oh, the crew of the Mary Celeste,” Giles was about to say more when he noticed Faith and Buffy standing a little too close to the portal. “Buffy, Faith,” he called as he saw the two senior slayers walk up to the portal to examine it; although what they expected to find he didn’t know, “don’t get too close it might…”

Too late, there was a sound like water draining down a plug hole, a cry of alarm from Buffy and Faith as they sort of stretched and disappeared into the portal.

“Bloody hell!!!” exclaimed Giles, “Willow! Get them back…QUICK!”

Before Willow could do anything there was a loud *POP!* and the portal vanished.

Willow and Giles turned to look at one another.

“Bugger!” they said in unison.

“Hey!” Buffy's voice drifted in from the kitchen, “Where do you hide the tea?”

“An' the cookies,” Faith added.

THE END.


End file.
